Along Longkumer
Consulting Editor
Many well meaning Naga people from all walks of life have been making routine reference to how our society, politics, government etc ought to reform and become better so that we can have peace, unity, progress and prosperity in our land. Different platforms have been used to share this common concern. It is easy to talk about the ills around us but very difficult to look for solutions. One reason could be that Nagas are not good practitioners of what we say or espouse. The other reason is possibly due to our inability to deal with our problems in a long term and holistic manner. Often we look at grand designs or the big picture alone and thereby miss out on the smaller yet vital elements that could actually help us in our search for answers. Since many of the problems we are confronted with today is rooted in our social mores or way of life, more than ever before, we need to perhaps have a long hard look at one of our basic institution—the family. In most societies it is the principal institution for the socialization of children. At a time when we are so busy in the world looking after our careers or wealth generation, it is easy to push the family into the background without giving it the priority that it deserves. Our problems as also the solutions to it could well lie in the way we deal with the institution of the family.
It is common knowledge that the family is the most important social institution. If family is so important then perhaps it deserves more attention than we are actually giving it. It is through the institution of the family that one can learn what is right and wrong and differentiate between the good from the bad. Also, if family is so vital then, what about the role and responsibility of the father, who heads it? Recently a seminar for fathers was held in one of the local church in Dimapur wherein the focus was on creating awareness among fathers on their roles and responsibilities as husband, father to the children and towards the family. Whether Naga men can prove otherwise, but there is a general consensus that the very role of father as also his presence was ‘declining’ in the Naga context. In such a situation, the role of the father in leading the family remains doubtful and therefore we need renewal of the father’s role in the family. Around the world, more awareness is being created on the need to strengthen the role of fathers in an effort towards nation building. In fact in Sweden, new mothers and fathers can split 14 months of parental leave between them, with 80% of their salaries paid by the government. Fathers are actually required to spend two months at home with the baby on their own, or they forfeit the pay and the time off.
Though not in the scale of what is being done in Europe, nevertheless some awareness and changes is taking place even among the Nagas. The Angami Baptist Church Council has taken an important initiative by having a ‘Men Department’. Father’s school has also been started by some of the Naga Churches. It is proven that fathers, who are positively involved in their child’s life, contribute towards preparing their children for life’s challenges and thereby steering clear of many of the problems we face today. It also leads to a healthier family and a healthier future for the child. Naga fathers need to change for the better and lead by good example if they want a better world for their children besides raising them to be responsible and conscientious adults. And if fathers improve, perhaps our government and politics can also be strengthened. In the ultimate analysis many of the social problems encountered today in Naga society– antisocial crime, domestic abuse, school dropout, corruption etc can all be correlated with the breakdown of the family. Yet at the same time these problems can be solved if we can rebuild the institution of the family and invigorate the vital role of the father in it.
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